The primary research goal will be to examine further the findings that patients with histologically diagnosed tumors and leukemia have markedly elevated levels of polyamines in their urine. New, more sensitive techniques have been developed (determination of polyamines using an amino acid analyzer) which now allow us to detect blood levels of polyamines as well as urinary levels. Levels of polyamines will be followed in suspected cases of cancer in order to determine if elevated polyamine excretion is an early indication of neoplasia. Changes in excutory patterns due to chemotherapy will be studied in order to ascertain whether blood and urine polyamine levels are related to the tumor burden of the patient and further whether they will be predictive in terms of efficatious timing of chemotherapy. A model system, mouse L1210 leukemia will also be studied in a similar manner, also continuing studies will explore the intracellular roles of polyamines utilizing subcellular fractionation procedures, and the measured effects of polyamines on RNA metabolism.